Understanding Phishing: A Threat Lurking in Your Inbox
In 1996, the first widely known phishing attack occurred when hackers breached aol.com. The perpetrators sent a phishing email to aol.com users, urging them to verify their accounts and provide billing information. Unfortunately, many users unknowingly provided sensitive data to these bad actors.
Phishing is a form of cybercrime where victims are tricked into:
- Providing sensitive data
- Sending money
- Breaching security protocols
What is Phishing?
Phishers use various tactics to bait their victims.
Some phishing emails create a sense of urgency, compelling victims to act quickly. Others attract attention by suggesting that the recipient has won a fantastic prize. Some even include malicious hyperlinks and attachments, which can infect the recipient’s device with ransomware.
Phishing attacks exploit human emotions and are successful when recipients act impulsively. That’s why baits like prizes work – someone excited about winning is less likely to be on their guard. As a rule of thumb, always be skeptical and avoid clicking anything that looks even slightly suspicious.
Spotting a Phishing Scam
While phishing attacks have grown more sophisticated, there are red flags you can look out for.
A common sign that an email is illegitimate is spelling and grammar errors. Also, pay special attention to the sender’s email address – if it isn’t familiar or doesn’t match the organization the email claims to be from, it may be a phishing email.
Phishing attacks can happen to anyone, but those with less digital experience are likelier to fall for them. No matter your level of digital experience, education is critical to mitigating the risk of phishing attacks.
How TechHouse Can Help
At TechHouse, we can help educate your organization about the dangers of phishing attacks.
Our Phishing Net software simulates attacks so that your team can experience real-world threats without real-world repercussions. Employees who take the bait receive training about what they did wrong to be safer in the future.
Many organizations don’t think a cyber-attack will impact them and, as a result, don’t prepare. But consider this – you have car insurance not because you expect an accident but to have coverage if there is one.
Similarly, cybersecurity measures are not about expecting an attack but being prepared if one occurs.
Ready to protect your organization from phishing attacks? Contact TechHouse today for more information.
